EXCLUSIVE: Hunter forces pricey insurance on Greek Letter Organizations
After Baruch Greeks suffer amidst the Pi Delta Psi hazing scandal, Hunter College Greeks finally pay the price
Following the tragic death of Chun Hsien Deng, a Baruch College student who lost his life in a Pi Delta Psi initiation gone wrong, fraternities and sororities all over Manhattan have been noticing several changes in their school’s policy on Greek life.
Baruch cracked down on Greek organizations by not allowing them to rush new members, leading to a Greek letter organization ban that will be supposedly lifted after the summer of 2018, the New York Times reports.
Now Hunter College Greeks are paying the price.
Teneia Wooten, Assistant Director of Student Activities and Leadership Development, is in charge of all Greek organizations on the Hunter College campus. These organizations include Zeta Phi Alpha, Nu Phi Delta, Alpha Phi Omega, Epsilon Sigma Phi, and Alpha Sigma.
This semester, Wooten said Greek organizations will need insurance to be recognized by the school. In a leaked email seen by The Tab, each group would have to pay $5,500 with the extra condition that 60 percent must be paid upfront.
With a pricey ticket to keep an organization on campus that must be paid annually, many fear for their organizations’ futures (especially the local fraternities and sororities who do not have a large amount of members to help them pay).
There is no information available on this new policy online, meaning that it is not accessible for Greeks to see exactly what they need. Wooten is making it extremely difficult for them to secure their insurance because documents are being changed left and right. This, in turn, extends the process, giving these organizations the usual run around.
Zeta Phi Alpha, Epsilon Sigma Phi, and Nu Phi Delta said that their insurance has been paid and should have gone through weeks ago, but has yet to see any approval from Hunter College.
Let’s see what some Greeks have to say about this.
Giuliana Videla, 19, Zeta Phi Alpha
“I understand Hunter is being safe because of the events that happened at Baruch, but just because one fraternity decided to haze doesn’t mean all Greek organizations should suffer.
“We are philanthropic and we give back to charities. Hunter is making it near impossible for us to recruit, which means they are cutting off support and donations to charities that benefit, which is selfish.
“What happened at Baruch was not our fault and they’re paying the consequences. Why should we? The insurance is excessive and we’ve never needed such a thing in the entire time we’ve been an active and chartered sorority.”
Mark Barragan, 22, Nu Phi Delta
“I’m very upset at how the situation has been handled. I feel that a discussion took place that determined how Greeks on campus would be handled, without us. All we’re asking for is a chance to have a conversation on how we can all help shape a safe and fun community”.
Kevin Brutus, 20, Alpha Phi Omega
“The college’s policy on insurance is completely understandable. However, I find qualms with the way the issue is being handled. For this being the first semester in which all organizations must have insurance, administrators must be willing to work fully with their students in order to make it fluid, in which, they have not.
“The school’s administration has seemingly been improvising a plan, rather than having one already laid out that is simple for everyone to follow. Instead, this process has been scattered and dispersed, and it’s pitiful.”